Mystery of lad's death at reunion; STRAPPING TEENAGER IS FOUND DEAD AFTER GET-TOGETHER

Byline: By MATT CASEY

Now the Valentine family have lost an amazing 17 stone between them. Tracey has shed six stone and dropped from Size 24 to a svelte Size 10. Partner Craig Stanley, 36, shrank from 17st, to 12st. Son Sam, 17, dropped from 15st 4lb to 12st 2lb, and 15-year-old daughter Karley, who was 11st, is now 8st and a dainty Size 6.Sadly, Tracey admits that she fed the family too much to excuse her own eating habits. "Looking back, I was trying to justify the way I ate by encouraging the rest of my family to eat the same way.But 19-year-old dad of one died just hours after meeting up with a friend for the reunion."He had lots of friends and we have had lots of messages of sympathy and condolence cards."Now a svelte size 12, the business consultant has even more to celebrate after being named runnerup in the Cambridge Diet Slimmer of the Year competition.An inquest was opened yesterday and the family have been told it could take up weeks to get the results of toxicology tests.BEFORE"He liked going out with his friends for a drink but would sometimes stay in for weeks on end.Lunch: Low-fat quiche, lean ham sandwich.Dinner: Pasta wi th tomato sauce, grilled chicken and vegetables.Breakfast: Toast with jam or peanut butter, cereal.The food was always piled high on our plates. In between we would snack on cakes, crisps, chocolate and lots of bread, and then we would settle down in front of the TV in the evening with more chocolate.Snacks: Crisps, chocs.A LAD died suddenly at a friends re-union.Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter, jam.Lunch: Pasta, salad home-made soup.Dinner: Vegetable bake, pasta with tomato sauce and veg.NEW LOOK: Jacqui BrownDinner: Pizza & chips, Indian takeaways, KFC.The family's new healthy regime has even led to their cat and dog losing weight. Colliecross Billy goes for runs with Tracey and Roxy no longer munches on treats.Mr Walsh said: "We are all just devastated. Ben was 6ft 3 and 16-and-a-half stone. He was fit as anything. He often helped me and never struggled to do work.Ben lived with his father, Garry, 55, step-mum Dawn, 40 and sisters Nicola, 16, and Gemma, 15, in Coniscliffe Road, Stanley.

MUCH MISSED: Ben Walsh with his pet dog Buddy